Electric switch device



May 5, 1936. A. HALL.

ELECTRIC SWITCH DEVICE Filed March 22, 1934 NVENTOR MM Mu, KW 'ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE ley Manufacturing Company,

Indianapolis,

Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application March 22, 1934, Serial No. 716,762

7 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switches and, more particularly, to terminal contact fingers used therein and has for a general object the provision of such contact fingers which are simple yet sturdy of construction, readily and economically manufactured and rapidly, easily and rmly mounted in operative position.

More speciiically, an object of the invention is the provision of a contact terminal finger fashioned in a particular configuration from a single blank'of resilient metal shaped to provide a contact point, having an anchoring element integral therewith and a terminal post so that when snapped into a slot in a terminal finger support, it is quickly and easily secured in operative position, the construction of the anchoring element being such that a simple deforming operation will secure it in position without necessitating the use of auxiliary securing means such as rivets or screws, or the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a terminal finger support having slots of a configuration adapted to receive the aforementioned anchoring element, or cooperatively to associate itself with said element, and perform auxiliary anchoring functions in addition to its other functions.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exempliiied in the construction hereinafter set' forth and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the under side of a slotted switch base having mounted therein a preferred embodiment of a terminal contact finger of one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view with parts broken away of the device depicted in Fig. 1 showing the anchoring element of the terminal finger about to be received in a slot in the switchbase;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the terminal contact finger snapped into position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of. the terminal contact finger in operative position after deformation of the anchoring element;

(Cl. 20G-166) Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a terminal contact nger;

Fig. 6 is a view of a switch base somewhat similar to Fig. 1 having mounted thereon a terminal contact iinger of an alternative embodiment;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view with parts broken away of the device depicted in Fig. 6:

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a stamped terminal contact finger before shaping.

Terminal contact fingers constructed in accordance with the principles of the present ini.

vention can be used with particular advantage in electric switch devices which are capable of eihcient circuit selection and of simultaneous connection between adjacent circuits when the switches are operated in a manner to cut out one circuit and cut in another and more particularly in such electric switch devices which can be assembled from standard parts into any desired form to meet particular requirements. Such electric switch devices are more fully described in the copending application of Paul G. Andres et al., Serial No. 680,554, filed July l5, 1933, assigned to the same assignee. 'I'he use of the improved terminal contact nger of the present invention will be found to be advantageous wherever it is desirable rapidly and efficiently to anchor terminal contact fingers on terminal linger supports.

In accordance with the present invention, a

terminal contact finger as illustrated, for example, in Fig. 9 is conveniently stamped out of a single blank of metal and is shaped as isshown in Figs. 2 and 5. The central portion of 'the terminal contact finger is shaped to provide a U-shaped anchoring element which when snapped into a slot ina terminal finger support, such as a switch base, may be deformed readily in a manner rigidly to hold the terminal Contact iinger in operative position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in

opposite each other; to form an I-shaped slot having notches I'l, Il. With this construction the reduced portion I2 of the anchoring element Il when inserted into the slot Il conveniently passes by the projections i6, I6 and permits the wing members I3, Il to enter the notches l1, l1 with a close fit to position the terminal contact finger as illustrated in Fig. 3 with a substantial portion of the anchoring element Il protruding beyond the surface of the switch base. The protruding portion of the anchoring element is then flared in any suitable manner, for example, as shown at Il in Fig. 4 to hold the contact finger firmly and rigidly in operative position.

The terminal contact finger includes a contact point I8 and a terminal post or soldering lug 20 adapted to provide electrical connection with a circuit wire and it will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 that all these parts can conveniently be anchored in one operation. At a point close to where the U-shaped member rests in its receiving slot the contact finger is provided with an opening 2| so that maximum resiliency is ob'- tained and concentrated in a particular area of the contact finger, i. e., the neighborhood of the opening.

In an alternative embodiment, illustrated in Fig. 5, a terminal contact finger indicated generally at I0' is slotted near its central portion, preferably at the timewhen the finger is stamped out of a metal strip. When shaped to form a depending anchoring element 22, the element comprises two spaced apart members 23. The members are then snapped into a rectangular slotl 24 in a terminal iinger support 25, shown as preferably constituting a switch base so as to protrude slightly beyond the surface of the switch base in a manner similar to that heretofore described With reference to the preferred form. 'Ihe protruding portions of the spaced apart members 23 are then flared or deformed by spreading them apart to cause them to clench over and bite into the material of the switch base. which for this purpose may convenientlybe made of a composition of the nature of bakelite, as shown at 23 in Fig. 8.

It will thus be seen that by means of the present invention there has been prov-ided a device which will rapidly and efilciently accomplish the objects set forth and since certain changes may be made in the above construction and diiferent embodiments of the invention ,could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric switch, the combination comprising a terminal contact finger, a U-shaped anchoring element integral therewith and reduced at its bottom portion to provide wing members as auxiliary anchoring means, and a switch base slotted to provide complementary wing notches and frictionally adapted to engage said wing members in a manner rigidly to hold said nnger ii. operative position.

2. In an electric switch, the combination comprising a terminal contact nnger formed from a blank strip of resilient metal having a U-shaped mid-portion, a terminal end portion. and a contact portion, said U-sbaped mid-portion being reduced at .its bottomvportion to provide wing members as auxiliary anchoring means: and a switch base having a slot provided with complementary wing notches receiving said wing members, said reduced portion extending beyond the bottom surface of said base member' and being deformed so that a substantial portion of each side thereof is clenched over the bottom surface of said switch base with the central portion serving as a brace for said clenching portions in a manner rigidly to hold said finger in operative position.

3. In an electric switch, the combination comprising a terminal contact finger having a terminal end portion, a contact portion and a midportion provided with a. U-shaped anchoring element, and a terminal finger support having a slot receiving said anchoring element, said anchoring element being slotted to from two spaced apart members which when spread apart after insertion of said anchoring element in said slot hold the terminal contact finger in a rigid operative position while insuring resilience of said contact portion.

4. In an electric switch, the combination comprising a terminal contact finger formed from a blank of resilient metal having a U-shaped midportion, comprising two vertical parallel portions and a substantially horizontal portion, a terminal end portion and a contact portion, and a terminal linger support having a slot receiving said U-shaped mid-portion in a manner such that a substantial portion thereof is permitted to extend beyond the bottom surface of said support, said U-shaped mid-portion being deformed so `that a substantial amount of each vertical parallel portion is clenched over tile bottom surface of said support, said horizontal portion serving as a brace for said clenched oartions rigidly,T to hold :sold finger in operative position.

5. In an electrical device, the combination comprising an electrical contact finger formed from a strip of metal having a U-shaperl mid-portion, and a. base of sheet material having an I-shaped hole therein, said contact finger being mounted on said base with the legs of said U-shaped portion received in the cross-slots of said hole.fr

6. In an electrical device, the combination comprising an electrical contact finger formed from a strip of metal having a U-shaped mid-portion, said strip having greater Width than thickness at least in s aidJnid-portion, and a base of sheet insulating material having an I-shaped hole therein, said contact finger being mounted on said base with the legs of said U-shaped portion received in the cross-slots of s.

7. In an electric switch, tlw vnation comprising a terminal-contact member formed from a strip of sheet metal having a U-shaped anchoring portion comprising two vertical parallel portions and a substantially horizontal connecting portion, a terminal end portion and a wiping contact surface portion, and` a switch base of sheet insulating material having a slot receiving said U-shaped anchoring portion in a manner such that said substantially horizontal portion thereof is permitted to extend beyond the bottom surface of said insulating sheet base, said horizontal connecting portion being spread beyond the boundary of the slot in said switch base so as to provide a pair of oppositely disposed wing portions clenched over the bottom surface of said disc whereby said terminal contact member is securely held in operative assembly with said switch base.

AR'I'HURHALL. 

